{"podcast":{"title":"Brussels Playbook Podcast","slug":"brussels-playbook-podcast-730322","podcast_index_feed_id":730322,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/ASD6061651607","website_url":"https://www.politico.eu/eu-confidential-podcast/","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/457b396e-5e02-11ef-9ea9-13174c9e6348/image/51c7306a884c9c73a7da2290ebca2b8d.jpg?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"POLITICO","episode_count":640,"summary":"POLITICO’s daily audio briefing on what’s moving Brussels — and why it matters. The Brussels Playbook Podcast is the audio extension of the Brussels Playbook newsletter. Hosted by POLITICO's chief EU correspondent, Zoya Sheftalovich, the podcast runs Monday through Thursday, offering a clear, reporting-driven guide to EU politics in under 15 minutes. It’s a perfect companion for your morning coffee. Each episode takes listeners inside the decisions, power shifts and debates shaping the day in Brussels — and explains how they connect to national capitals across Europe. Clear, conversational and shaped by reporting from the heart of the EU, the Brussels Playbook Podcast brings context to EU politics as your day begins. On Fridays, the same feed features a longer episode that goes deeper into the week’s biggest themes, offering context and analysis beyond the daily news cycle — with Sarah Wheaton behind the mic.","last_synced_at":"2026-09-18T10:19:02.663938+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/brussels-playbook-podcast-730322"},"episode":{"title":"Europe’s budget war starts now","slug":"europe-s-budget-war-starts-now","published_at":"2026-06-18T04:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/brussels-playbook-podcast-730322/europe-s-budget-war-starts-now","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/brussels-playbook-podcast-730322","url":"https://www.politico.eu/podcast/brussels-playbook-podcast/","audio_url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/POLL9802596752.mp3","summary":"EU leaders arrive in Brussels for a summit dominated by two major debates: How far Europe should go in confronting China and how the bloc should shape its next long-term budget. Zoya Sheftalovich and Sarah Wheaton break down the tougher mood toward Beijing, the divisions among capitals and the battle over what Europe should spend its money on. Then, they meet the four new heads of government taking their seats around the European Council table — and assess who could become the next ally, wildcard or obstacle on Ukraine, sanctions and Israel. And finally, inside the Commission’s enlargement department, officials are turning to a homegrown AI tool to help check whether aspiring EU members are bringing their laws into line with the bloc’s rules. Do you have a story about using AI for your work and it all going terribly wrong ... or maybe terribly right? Send us a voice note or message us on WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29. Plus: On June 30, we’re celebrating 100 episodes of the Brussels Playbook Podcast. Do you want to attend a live taping? Click here to register for a chance to apply! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices","meta_description":"EU leaders arrive in Brussels for a summit dominated by two major debates: How far Europe should go in confronting China and how the bloc should shape its…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":900,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/brussels-playbook-podcast-730322/episodes/europe-s-budget-war-starts-now/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/brussels-playbook-podcast-730322/europe-s-budget-war-starts-now.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}